Therapy approaches, explained

Internal Family Systems therapyIFS

The mind isn't one voice but many parts: one pushes you to work harder, one tells you to give up, one keeps an old hurt out of sight. IFS gets rid of none of them; it learns to listen to each in turn, led by a calm, curious Self.^[2,5]

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What is Internal Family Systems therapy?

On Sunday night the presentation was finished long ago. You know you should sleep, yet you revise it until two in the morning; then you eat a whole bag of crisps at midnight and tell yourself you're hopeless. It isn't that you don't understand the sense of it, so why can't you stop? Inside one person, who is pushing, who is eating, and who is scolding?^[2]

1The worldview

Three kinds of parts: managers, firefighters, exiles

Internal Family Systems (IFS) was created by the American Richard Schwartz. About four decades ago, while working as a family therapist, he heard clients describe their inner lives in terms of parts: a voice that criticises, an impulse that pulls the other way, like members of a family in conflict. He applied family-systems thinking to these inner interactions, and IFS grew from that.^[7,8]

IFS's first idea is that the mind is naturally multiple. We've all said "part of me wants to go and part of me doesn't", and this isn't a disorder but how a mind ordinarily works. Its second idea is that there are no bad parts: each part's intention is positive, and it becomes extreme because it was pushed into a role that is too heavy. So the goal is not to eliminate any part but to help it find a less extreme role.^[2,5]

The third idea is that, besides the parts, everyone has a Self (written with a capital S). The Self is not one more part but the core that can lead the inner system. IFS describes eight qualities of it, called the eight Cs because they all begin with C: calmness, curiosity, clarity, compassion, confidence, creativity, courage and connectedness. Later teaching adds the five Ps: presence, perspective, patience, persistence and playfulness. When a part is willing to step back, these qualities tend to appear on their own. Nor is the aim to pretend to be curious, since pretended curiosity doesn't count.^[2,3,5]

The fourth idea is the burden. A part turns extreme because it carries something that never belonged to it, such as a belief that "I'm not good enough" or a feeling too heavy to hold, usually from painful experience. A burden can be put down, and the part can then return to what it naturally is. IFS describes itself as non-pathologising: it describes how your inner life works rather than labelling you with a diagnosis.^[5,6]

IFS sorts parts by what they do in the inner system. Managers and firefighters are together called protectors, because both guard the same thing: the pain of the exiles. These names describe a part's role, not who you are, and not a diagnosis.

ManagersGo first and run daily life: planning, criticising, pleasing, controlling, so that the pain isn't touched
FirefightersPut the fire out the moment pain breaks through: bingeing, drink, numbing, outbursts, even self-harm
ExilesYoung, hurt parts carrying shame, fear or loneliness, shut away to protect the whole system

A map of the inner system: parts, burdens and the Self

Put the ideas above together and you have a map. The three layers below use one scene: on Sunday night you think of tomorrow's presentation, your stomach drops, and you keep revising the slides until two in the morning. It is an invented everyday example, used only to show the map.^[2,5]

Note that parts and the Self are concepts within the IFS model, a way of describing inner experience, not something a brain scan finds. The limits section below returns to this.

1Parts
Inner personalities, each with its own thoughts, feelings and ways of acting. Several can appear in the same scene.
Manager: a perfectionist urging one more revision. Firefighter: the late-night bag of crisps. Exile: a child once told in front of the class, "you got even this wrong".
2Burdens
The extreme beliefs or feelings a part carries that aren't its nature. A burden can be put down, and the part then doesn't have to protect you so extremely.
The perfectionist part carries: "if I slip, everyone will see I'm not good enough."
3The Self
The core that can lead, not one more part. Its qualities (the eight Cs) aren't produced by effort but emerge once parts step back.
You can ask the perfectionist part, with curiosity rather than irritation, "what are you afraid of?" That curiosity is what IFS calls the Self.

2The method

The six Fs: getting to know a part, and letting it lead the way

The six Fs are a sequence commonly taught in IFS for getting to know a protector: find, focus, flesh out, feel toward, befriend, fear (all beginning with F in English). The pivot is the fourth step: how do you feel toward this part? If curious or caring, the Self is present; if you dislike it or feel impatient, another part has joined in and is first asked to step back. Only when the Self is leading and the protector is willing to trust does the deeper work come: protect, retrieve the exile, then unburden. The therapist goes at your pace and checks your willingness at every step.^[1,2,4]

1FindNotice where the part shows up: a thought, a feeling, or a sensation somewhere in the bodyManagersFirefighters
2FocusTurn your attention to it, without rushing to change or remove itManagersFirefighters
3Flesh outWhat is it like? Does it have an image, a voice, an age? You needn't see a picture; sensing it is enoughManagersFirefighters
4Feel towardHow do you feel toward it now? Curious or caring means the Self is present; irritation is another part, asked to step back firstManagersFirefighters
5BefriendWith the Self present, ask it: how long has it done this, what does it want you to know? Thank it for its effortsManagersFirefighters
6FearAsk it: if it stopped, what is it afraid would happen? The answer often points to the exile it protectsManagersFirefightersExiles

An example: the Sunday-night presentation

1On Sunday night you think of tomorrow's presentation, your stomach drops, and you revise the slides until two in the morning.

Fighting itAfter getting to know it

Find

Fighting it"I'm doing it again. I'm hopeless."

After getting to know it"A part keeps pushing me to revise one more time; this is the seventh pass."

Feel toward

Fighting itHating it, wanting it to shut up

After getting to know itNoticing another part is irritated, asking it to step back, leaving curiosity

Fear

Fighting itPushing on, or forcing yourself to stop

After getting to know itIt says: "if I don't watch, you'll slip, and everyone will see you're not good enough."

Firefighter

Fighting itEating a whole bag of crisps at midnight, then hating yourself more

After getting to know itSeeing another part is helping to dampen the tension, rather than a failure of willpower

Afterwards

Fighting itMore tired the harder you fight; the same again next Sunday

After getting to know itStill nervous, but able to tell it: "I hear you; we stop here tonight."

This is a small everyday example and stays at the protector level. The child criticised in front of the class behind the presentation is the deeper layer; going there needs to be slow, with a therapist, and with the protector's consent first (see exiles below). The exercise linked here is not IFS, but its gentleness toward yourself is close to the compassion IFS describes. A neighbouring exercise: the self-compassion break

3The skills

Three kinds of parts, three ways of working

IFS has no fixed list of techniques; the work is adjusted to the part in front of you: managers are met first, firefighters are respected first, exiles come last and slowest. The groups below run from the safest everyday layer to the one needing most care.

Managers: starting with the loudest everyday voices

The critic, the perfectionist, the pleaser. Learning what they fear is usually the safest place to start.

Meeting a protector with the six Fs
The therapist asks you to notice a part that pushes, criticises or controls, and gets to know it through the six Fs above: where it is, what it is like, how you feel toward it. If you are irritated with it, the therapist doesn't ask you to force a different feeling but asks the irritated part to step back first. The result is that you can listen to it with curiosity rather than argue with it.^[1,2,4]
Hear it in a session
1. Client
  Whenever a report is due I revise until the early hours, over and over.
2. Therapist
  It sounds like a part of you keeps pushing. Shall we try getting to know it? If you don't want to go deeper, we can stop any time.
3. Client
  OK, let's try.
4. Therapist
  When it shows up, where do you notice it in your body?
5. Client
  My shoulders and the back of my neck, very tight.
6. Therapist
  Stay with that tightness. How do you feel toward this pushing part right now?
7. Client
  Annoyed. I just want it to shut up.
8. Therapist
  That annoyance sounds like another part. Could you ask it to step back a little, so you have room to look at the pushing part?
9. Client
  …(pause) It seems willing to step back a bit.
10. Therapist
  Now, toward the pushing part, does the feeling change?
11. Client
  More curious. It's like a very anxious little supervisor.
12. Therapist
  Ask it: what is it trying to protect you from by pushing like this?
13. Client
  It says it's afraid I'll slip, and then everyone will see I'm not good enough.
14. Therapist
  Thank it for working so hard. Now ask it: if it stopped pushing tonight, what would it be afraid might happen?
15. Client
  It's afraid… that I'll be like that time I was shouted at in front of the class.
16. Therapist
  That matters, but we don't have to go in today. First we ask this part whether it is willing to let us near that pain, all right?
17. Client
  It says it isn't sure yet, it wants to see if we can be trusted.
18. Therapist
  That caution makes sense. Today we stop at getting to know it. When it shows up this week, you could say to it: "I hear you."
Notice: This is a moment from the presentation example above, showing the six Fs. The therapist asks first whether the client is willing, and says they can stop at any time. When the client says "annoying", the therapist points out that this is another part and asks it to step back, and only then does the client turn curious. After the perfectionist part voices its fear, the therapist thanks it but doesn't rush to the old hurt: the protector has to agree first, so this session stops at getting to know it. The protector is still unsure, which is normal; change in a part is slow.
Method based on^[1,2,4]
Two parts pulling against each other
Sometimes two parts take opposite ends: one wants you to push, the other to lie flat. IFS calls such opposition a polarisation. The therapist speaks for neither side but asks the Self to listen to each in turn so both are heard, which usually shows that both are protecting you, by opposite methods. The aim is not to pick a winner.^[1,5]

Firefighters: no shaming, first ask what it is trying to stop

Impulsive or out-of-control behaviour is often an attempt to stop pain fast.

Respecting the firefighter, not shaming it
Bingeing, drink, numbing and outbursts are firefighters putting out a fire when pain breaks through. IFS responds with curiosity: what fire is it putting out, what feeling is it trying to stop? That is not the same as tolerating harm: if the behaviour is endangering you, for example self-harm or heavy drinking, safety and stability come first, understanding second.^[1,5]

Exiles: needing time, permission and a trained therapist

This is where trauma and shame live, and not a place for going alone.

Witnessing an exile, then unburdening: protect, retrieve, unburden
Exiles are approached only once the Self is leading and the protectors agree. The usual order is: first protect, making sure protectors are willing to step back and that you won't be flooded; then let the exile tell its experience while the Self witnesses it, until it feels seen and understood; then retrieve it from the scene in the past to a safe place; and finally let it release the burden it carries, in imagination (to light, water or wind, for example), and invite back its natural qualities. This is trauma work: don't do it alone at home, and do it with a trained therapist. If you feel flooded, dizzy, unable to tell then from now, or a part is taking you over, stop and come back to your breathing, the room and the present.^[1,5,14]

The dialogues are illustrative composites, not real clients; skills that stir strong emotion or touch on trauma should be done with a trained therapist.

What does a course of IFS look like?

Now you know how it sees a person and how it works. The next questions: what is it actually like, does it work, and what is it not for?

IFS has no fixed number of sessions. In research, one pilot used 16 sessions of 90 minutes, and one online trial used 16 weekly group sessions plus 8 fortnightly individual sessions. The real length depends on what you bring and how deep you want to go.^[10,12]

1Learn the map and agree the ground rulesThe therapist first explains parts, protectors and "no bad parts", and that you can stop or say no at any time. You don't have to believe the model to start; you can try it as one way of looking at yourself.
2Meet the protectors firstUsually it starts with the voice that bothers you most day to day, such as the critic or the perfectionist, getting to know it through the six Fs.
3Get permission, steady firstBefore going near an old hurt, the therapist asks the protectors whether they are willing and looks at how steady you are. If you are easily overwhelmed, building steadiness may come first rather than rushing in.
4Witness and unburdenWith a trained therapist, the Self witnesses the exile's experience, retrieves it and unburdens it. This can take several sessions, and may never be needed.
5Bring the Self back into lifeNotice the moments in daily life when a part takes over, and practise pausing to ask "which part is this, and what is it afraid of?"

What can IFS help with?

Trials exist for post-traumatic stress, depression and the pain and mood of a long-term illness. Therapists and its creators also use it for anxiety, eating problems and addiction, but the research for those uses is thinner.^{[1,9,10,11,12]}

Post-traumatic stress (research still thin)
Depression
The pain and mood that come with a long-term illness
Harsh self-criticism and inner tug-of-war
People who want to understand why they "can't stop themselves"

Everyone is different. If you are thinking of hurting yourself or ending your life, please don't face it alone: call The Samaritans' 24-hour line on 2896 0000, or 999 in an emergency. If you experience dissociation (often switching off, losing time), psychotic symptoms, or are easily flooded by traumatic memories, tell the therapist first: working by dividing the inner world into parts may unsettle you further, and needs a therapist trained for this to adapt it, or other preparation first.

Does it work? What the research says

Research on IFS is only beginning: a few small trials, the rest mostly pilot studies. Every item below sits at "more evidence needed", and that is not politeness but the plain situation: no study is enough to say IFS beats other therapies.

For post-traumatic stress: improvement, but not shown better than another structured programme
One pilot with no comparison group gave 17 adults with a history of multiple childhood traumas 16 sessions of IFS, and their post-traumatic stress symptoms dropped markedly. A later randomised trial split 60 people with post-traumatic stress disorder into an online IFS group or a nature-based stress-reduction programme: symptoms fell clearly in both, with no significant difference between them, and the IFS group attended more and rated it more satisfying. The authors of both studies include IFS's creator Schwartz (the pilot) or his long-time co-author Martha Sweezy (the randomised trial).^[10,12]
For rheumatoid arthritis: pain and mood improved, anxiety and disease activity did not
79 patients were randomly assigned to 9 months of IFS or to a comparison group that only received mailed information about the condition. After treatment the IFS group had less overall pain and better physical function; still holding a year later were joint pain, self-compassion and depressive symptoms, while anxiety, self-efficacy and disease activity showed no lasting improvement. The researchers called it a proof of concept and asked for larger trials. The comparison group received only mailed material, so the result doesn't show IFS is better than other psychological therapies.^[9]
For depression in college women: similar to CBT or interpersonal therapy, with a very small sample
37 college women were randomly given IFS or treatment as usual (CBT or interpersonal therapy). Depressive symptoms fell in both groups, with no significant difference in how much or how fast. But 37 people can't establish that the two are equal; it can only say no difference showed up in this small sample.^[11]
Against other therapies, and what drives the change: no answer yet
The two trials with a comparison treatment (the post-traumatic stress and depression studies above) did not find IFS ahead, and no study we found shows that the concepts of parts and the Self are what drives change. That needs larger trials run by independent teams.^[11,12,14]

There is some history to state plainly. In 2015, SAMHSA's (the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) registry NREPP listed IFS, rating it effective for general functioning and well-being and promising for several others, including anxiety, physical health conditions and depression; but that review rested on the rheumatoid arthritis trial above alone. NREPP was shut down in 2018, with SAMHSA saying at the time that some practices on the registry had been admitted on a review of as few as a single, possibly old, publication. So the 2015 listing is a historical fact, not a present endorsement. To market IFS as "evidence-based" says more than the research supports; the fairer statement is that there is early, promising research. A 2025 scoping review has also mapped the research and its gaps.^[9,13,15,16]

To be honest: IFS's limits and controversies

IFS is hugely popular online, far faster than its research has grown. A few things worth knowing:^[13,14]

1Thin evidence, some of it run by the model's creator and colleagues

The trials above are all small, and several have Schwartz himself or a long-time colleague among the authors. That doesn't make the results untrustworthy, but it does call for more independent teams and larger samples.

2The Self is a hard-to-test concept with a spiritual flavour

Schwartz has written that the Self is the soul that spiritual traditions talk about but that most psychotherapies don't acknowledge. Describing everyone's core as having compassion, clarity and the rest is a powerful view for many people, but it is a belief rather than a research finding, and others have discussed its link with spirituality. You don't have to accept it to do IFS, but it is worth knowing it isn't the language of ordinary clinical research.

3Trauma, dissociation and psychosis: risky without training

Critics point out that IFS invites clients to speak as their parts, which may encourage splitting and dissociation, whereas the principle in treating dissociation and complex trauma is a careful, phased approach that encourages integration. They also warn it may harm people with psychotic symptoms or difficulties with reality testing, and cite litigation cases involving false-memory allegations. These are critics' views, not settled findings, but they show why trauma work should be slow and led by a therapist with trauma training.

4IFS online: everyone is doing it, with no one minding the gate

Social media carries a great deal of IFS content that hasn't been peer reviewed, and many untrained people use it. Claims of "evidence-based" are often stronger than the research supports. If you want to do it seriously, look for a therapist with specific IFS training and general clinical qualifications.

So IFS is a way of looking at yourself that deserves to be taken seriously, but it is not yet a well-proven treatment; a good therapist goes slowly and adjusts to where you are.

Take this with you

Next time you can't stop, there's no need to scold yourself or force the voice to shut up: ask "which part is speaking, and what is it afraid of?" The evidence for IFS is still thin, and the Self is a belief rather than a finding, but the stance that no part inside is bad is worth keeping. For the heavy layers, go slowly and bring in someone trained.^[5,14]

Courses

Therapists who practise IFS

TreeholeHK's counsellors and clinical psychologists use IFS to fit what you need, alongside other approaches.

Book therapy

Annabella Cheng-AhmudFamily TherapistView profile

Beyond IFS: other approaches

Treating the mind as made of parts isn't unique to IFS: several approaches have done it, each in its own way. Start here to compare.

The Satir modelSatir's family therapy also works with parts, for example the "parts party", in which the different inner parts are imagined as guests and introduced to one another. IFS also began in family-systems thinking, which is where the two meet.^[8,17]
Gestalt therapyGestalt chair work lets a person speak with and as different inner parts in turn, which is close to IFS's talking with parts. The difference is that IFS has a model of protectors, exiles and the Self, while gestalt has no such map.^[20]
Jungian analytical psychologyJung's complexes, emotionally charged clusters inside the psyche that act as a unit, are close to parts, and ego-state therapy also sees personality as made of several states. IFS puts more weight on each part being a protector, rather than something to analyse or fold back in.^[18,19]
Emotion-focused therapy (EFT)EFT's two-chair work puts the inner critic and the criticised self on the table in the same way, without the protector and exile categories.^[20]
Compassion-focused therapy (CFT)Also hopes to meet the hard parts of the inner world with compassion rather than a fight, though CFT doesn't use the language of the Self and parts.
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)ACT also teaches people to step back from thoughts and feelings rather than fight them. IFS goes a step further and treats them as parts one can talk with, each with its own history.

Other therapy approaches

FAQ

Does IFS say I have multiple personalities?

No. IFS holds that having many parts is how a mind ordinarily works, as when we say "half of me wants to, half doesn't". Dissociative identity disorder is something else, a diagnosis needing specialist care; critics also note that IFS may not suit such cases and must be adapted by a suitably trained therapist.^[5,14]

What is the Self? Do I have to believe in it?

IFS says everyone has a Self: not one more part but a core that can lead, with qualities such as curiosity, compassion and calm. Schwartz has also described it as the soul that spiritual traditions speak of. That is the model's belief, not a research finding; you can treat it as a perspective and see whether it helps, with no need to believe first.^[2,5]

Is IFS evidence-based?

The fairer description is "early, promising research". What exists is a few small trials and pilots; NREPP listed it in 2015, but only on the strength of one study, and that registry closed in 2018. Describing it as "evidence-based" says more than the evidence does.^[9,12,15,16]

Can I do IFS on my own at home?

Getting to know your critic or perfectionist, and treating it with curiosity rather than a fight, is something you can try slowly alone. But when you meet intense pain or traumatic memories, or feel flooded or lose touch with reality, stop and find a trained therapist. There is a lot of untrained IFS content online, and not all of it is safe.^[1,14]

What's the difference between IFS and CBT?

CBT mainly changes distress by working on thoughts and behaviour; IFS treats distressing thoughts and feelings as parts and learns to relate to them differently. In a pilot of only 37 college women with depression, the two showed no significant difference, but the sample is too small to conclude anything.^[2,11]

How many sessions does IFS take?

There is no fixed number. In research there were 16 sessions of 90 minutes, and also 16 weekly group sessions plus 8 fortnightly individual sessions. The real length depends on what you want to work on and how deep you want to go, and is agreed with your therapist.^[10,12]

How do I find an IFS therapist in Hong Kong?

Ask whether the therapist has specific IFS training (the IFS Institute runs levelled courses), plus general clinical qualifications and trauma training. Further down are TreeholeHK's therapists who use IFS; read their backgrounds before you book.^[6]

References

1.Schwartz, R. C., & Sweezy, M. (2020). Internal family systems therapy (2nd ed.). Guilford Press. guilford.com
2.Schwartz, R. C. (2023). Introduction to internal family systems (2nd ed.). Sounds True. (Chapter 1, "The Internal Family Systems Model", publisher excerpt.) ifs-institute.com
3.Schwartz, R. C. (2021). No bad parts: Healing trauma and restoring wholeness with the Internal Family Systems model. Sounds True.
4.Anderson, F. G., Sweezy, M., & Schwartz, R. C. (2017). Internal family systems skills training manual: Trauma-informed treatment for anxiety, depression, PTSD & substance abuse. PESI Publishing.
5.IFS Institute. (n.d.). The Internal Family Systems model outline. ifs-institute.com
6.IFS Institute. (n.d.). What is Internal Family Systems? ifs-institute.com
7.Schwartz, R. C. (n.d.). Evolution of the Internal Family Systems model. IFS Institute. ifs-institute.com
8.Brenner, E. G., Schwartz, R. C., & Becker, C. (2023). Development of the internal family systems model: Honoring contributions from family systems therapies. Family Process, 62(4), 1290–1306. doi.org/10.1111/famp.12943
9.Shadick, N. A., Sowell, N. F., Frits, M. L., Hoffman, S. M., Hartz, S. A., Booth, F. D., Sweezy, M., Rogers, P. R., Dubin, R. L., Atkinson, J. C., Friedman, A. L., Augusto, F., Iannaccone, C. K., Fossel, A. H., Quinn, G., Cui, J., Losina, E., & Schwartz, R. C. (2013). A randomized controlled trial of an internal family systems-based psychotherapeutic intervention on outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis: A proof-of-concept study. The Journal of Rheumatology, 40(11), 1831–1841. doi.org/10.3899/jrheum.121465
10.Hodgdon, H. B., Anderson, F. G., Southwell, E., Hrubec, W., & Schwartz, R. (2022). Internal family systems (IFS) therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among survivors of multiple childhood trauma: A pilot effectiveness study. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 31(1), 22–43. doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2021.2013375
11.Haddock, S. A., Weiler, L. M., Trump, L. J., & Henry, K. L. (2017). The efficacy of internal family systems therapy in the treatment of depression among female college students: A pilot study. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 43(1), 131–144. doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12184
12.Joss, D., Comeau, A., Chevannes, R., Parry, G., Rea, H. S., Barria, J., Bumpus, C., Rector, A., Rajan, A., Rosansky, J., Rice, F. K., Ward, M. C., Tobiasz Veltz, L., Ally, D., Rosenberg, L. G., Sweezy, M., Lovas, D., & Schuman-Olivier, Z. (2026). A randomized controlled trial of an online group-based internal family systems treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: The Program for Alleviating and Resolving Trauma and Stress (PARTS) study. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Advance online publication. doi.org/10.1037/tra0002089
13.Buys, M. E. (2025). Exploring the evidence for Internal Family Systems therapy: A scoping review of current research, gaps, and future directions. Clinical Psychologist, 29(3), 241–260. doi.org/10.1080/13284207.2025.2533127
14.Brownstone, L. M., Hunsicker, M. J., & Greene, A. K. (2024, June 26). Internal family systems: Exploring its problematic popularity. Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy. societyforpsychotherapy.org
15.Foundation for Self Leadership. (n.d.). IFS, a practice with emerging evidence (reporting SAMHSA's NREPP listing of 23 November 2015). foundationifs.org
16.The Alliance for Rights and Recovery. (2018, January 15). SAMHSA terminates best practices registry in favor of emerging "Policy Lab" (quoting SAMHSA's statement of 11 January 2018). rightsandrecovery.org
17.Satir, V., Banmen, J., Gerber, J., & Gomori, M. (1991). The Satir model: Family therapy and beyond. Science and Behavior Books.
18.Watkins, J. G., & Watkins, H. H. (1997). Ego states: Theory and therapy. W. W. Norton.
19.Jung, C. G. (1969). The structure and dynamics of the psyche (2nd ed.; R. F. C. Hull, Trans.; Collected Works, Vol. 8). Princeton University Press. Includes "A review of the complex theory".
20.Greenberg, L. S. (n.d.). Two-chair technique. Common Language for Psychotherapy (CLP) Procedures. commonlanguagepsychotherapy.org

Want someone alongside you?

You can do the exercises on your own. When you're stuck, a trained therapist can take you further.

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Meeting a protector with the six Fs

The therapist asks you to notice a part that pushes, criticises or controls, and gets to know it through the six Fs above: where it is, what it is like, how you feel toward it. If you are irritated with it, the therapist doesn't ask you to force a different feeling but asks the irritated part to step back first. The result is that you can listen to it with curiosity rather than argue with it.^[1,2,4]

Hear it in a session

Client
Whenever a report is due I revise until the early hours, over and over.
Therapist
It sounds like a part of you keeps pushing. Shall we try getting to know it? If you don't want to go deeper, we can stop any time.
Client
OK, let's try.
Therapist
When it shows up, where do you notice it in your body?
Client
My shoulders and the back of my neck, very tight.
Therapist
Stay with that tightness. How do you feel toward this pushing part right now?
Client
Annoyed. I just want it to shut up.
Therapist
That annoyance sounds like another part. Could you ask it to step back a little, so you have room to look at the pushing part?
Client
…(pause) It seems willing to step back a bit.
Therapist
Now, toward the pushing part, does the feeling change?
Client
More curious. It's like a very anxious little supervisor.
Therapist
Ask it: what is it trying to protect you from by pushing like this?
Client
It says it's afraid I'll slip, and then everyone will see I'm not good enough.
Therapist
Thank it for working so hard. Now ask it: if it stopped pushing tonight, what would it be afraid might happen?
Client
It's afraid… that I'll be like that time I was shouted at in front of the class.
Therapist
That matters, but we don't have to go in today. First we ask this part whether it is willing to let us near that pain, all right?
Client
It says it isn't sure yet, it wants to see if we can be trusted.
Therapist
That caution makes sense. Today we stop at getting to know it. When it shows up this week, you could say to it: "I hear you."

Notice: This is a moment from the presentation example above, showing the six Fs. The therapist asks first whether the client is willing, and says they can stop at any time. When the client says "annoying", the therapist points out that this is another part and asks it to step back, and only then does the client turn curious. After the perfectionist part voices its fear, the therapist thanks it but doesn't rush to the old hurt: the protector has to agree first, so this session stops at getting to know it. The protector is still unsure, which is normal; change in a part is slow.

Method based on^[1,2,4]

FAQ

Does IFS say I have multiple personalities?

What is the Self? Do I have to believe in it?

Is IFS evidence-based?

Can I do IFS on my own at home?

What's the difference between IFS and CBT?

How many sessions does IFS take?

How do I find an IFS therapist in Hong Kong?

References

1.Schwartz, R. C., & Sweezy, M. (2020). Internal family systems therapy (2nd ed.). Guilford Press. guilford.com
2.Schwartz, R. C. (2023). Introduction to internal family systems (2nd ed.). Sounds True. (Chapter 1, "The Internal Family Systems Model", publisher excerpt.) ifs-institute.com
3.Schwartz, R. C. (2021). No bad parts: Healing trauma and restoring wholeness with the Internal Family Systems model. Sounds True.
4.Anderson, F. G., Sweezy, M., & Schwartz, R. C. (2017). Internal family systems skills training manual: Trauma-informed treatment for anxiety, depression, PTSD & substance abuse. PESI Publishing.
5.IFS Institute. (n.d.). The Internal Family Systems model outline. ifs-institute.com
6.IFS Institute. (n.d.). What is Internal Family Systems? ifs-institute.com
7.Schwartz, R. C. (n.d.). Evolution of the Internal Family Systems model. IFS Institute. ifs-institute.com
8.Brenner, E. G., Schwartz, R. C., & Becker, C. (2023). Development of the internal family systems model: Honoring contributions from family systems therapies. Family Process, 62(4), 1290–1306. doi.org/10.1111/famp.12943
9.Shadick, N. A., Sowell, N. F., Frits, M. L., Hoffman, S. M., Hartz, S. A., Booth, F. D., Sweezy, M., Rogers, P. R., Dubin, R. L., Atkinson, J. C., Friedman, A. L., Augusto, F., Iannaccone, C. K., Fossel, A. H., Quinn, G., Cui, J., Losina, E., & Schwartz, R. C. (2013). A randomized controlled trial of an internal family systems-based psychotherapeutic intervention on outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis: A proof-of-concept study. The Journal of Rheumatology, 40(11), 1831–1841. doi.org/10.3899/jrheum.121465
10.Hodgdon, H. B., Anderson, F. G., Southwell, E., Hrubec, W., & Schwartz, R. (2022). Internal family systems (IFS) therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among survivors of multiple childhood trauma: A pilot effectiveness study. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 31(1), 22–43. doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2021.2013375
11.Haddock, S. A., Weiler, L. M., Trump, L. J., & Henry, K. L. (2017). The efficacy of internal family systems therapy in the treatment of depression among female college students: A pilot study. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 43(1), 131–144. doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12184
12.Joss, D., Comeau, A., Chevannes, R., Parry, G., Rea, H. S., Barria, J., Bumpus, C., Rector, A., Rajan, A., Rosansky, J., Rice, F. K., Ward, M. C., Tobiasz Veltz, L., Ally, D., Rosenberg, L. G., Sweezy, M., Lovas, D., & Schuman-Olivier, Z. (2026). A randomized controlled trial of an online group-based internal family systems treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: The Program for Alleviating and Resolving Trauma and Stress (PARTS) study. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Advance online publication. doi.org/10.1037/tra0002089
13.Buys, M. E. (2025). Exploring the evidence for Internal Family Systems therapy: A scoping review of current research, gaps, and future directions. Clinical Psychologist, 29(3), 241–260. doi.org/10.1080/13284207.2025.2533127
14.Brownstone, L. M., Hunsicker, M. J., & Greene, A. K. (2024, June 26). Internal family systems: Exploring its problematic popularity. Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy. societyforpsychotherapy.org
15.Foundation for Self Leadership. (n.d.). IFS, a practice with emerging evidence (reporting SAMHSA's NREPP listing of 23 November 2015). foundationifs.org
16.The Alliance for Rights and Recovery. (2018, January 15). SAMHSA terminates best practices registry in favor of emerging "Policy Lab" (quoting SAMHSA's statement of 11 January 2018). rightsandrecovery.org
17.Satir, V., Banmen, J., Gerber, J., & Gomori, M. (1991). The Satir model: Family therapy and beyond. Science and Behavior Books.
18.Watkins, J. G., & Watkins, H. H. (1997). Ego states: Theory and therapy. W. W. Norton.
19.Jung, C. G. (1969). The structure and dynamics of the psyche (2nd ed.; R. F. C. Hull, Trans.; Collected Works, Vol. 8). Princeton University Press. Includes "A review of the complex theory".
20.Greenberg, L. S. (n.d.). Two-chair technique. Common Language for Psychotherapy (CLP) Procedures. commonlanguagepsychotherapy.org

Internal Family Systems therapyIFS

What is Internal Family Systems therapy?

Three kinds of parts: managers, firefighters, exiles

A map of the inner system: parts, burdens and the Self

The six Fs: getting to know a part, and letting it lead the way

An example: the Sunday-night presentation

Three kinds of parts, three ways of working

Managers: starting with the loudest everyday voices

Meeting a protector with the six Fs

Two parts pulling against each other

Firefighters: no shaming, first ask what it is trying to stop

Respecting the firefighter, not shaming it

Exiles: needing time, permission and a trained therapist

Witnessing an exile, then unburdening: protect, retrieve, unburden

What does a course of IFS look like?

What can IFS help with?

Does it work? What the research says

For post-traumatic stress: improvement, but not shown better than another structured programme

For rheumatoid arthritis: pain and mood improved, anxiety and disease activity did not

For depression in college women: similar to CBT or interpersonal therapy, with a very small sample

Against other therapies, and what drives the change: no answer yet

To be honest: IFS's limits and controversies

1Thin evidence, some of it run by the model's creator and colleagues

2The Self is a hard-to-test concept with a spiritual flavour

3Trauma, dissociation and psychosis: risky without training

4IFS online: everyone is doing it, with no one minding the gate

Courses

Therapists who practise IFS

Beyond IFS: other approaches

Other therapy approaches

FAQ

References

Want someone alongside you?

Internal Family Systems therapyIFS

What is Internal Family Systems therapy?

Three kinds of parts: managers, firefighters, exiles

A map of the inner system: parts, burdens and the Self

The six Fs: getting to know a part, and letting it lead the way

An example: the Sunday-night presentation

Three kinds of parts, three ways of working

Managers: starting with the loudest everyday voices

Meeting a protector with the six Fs

Two parts pulling against each other

Firefighters: no shaming, first ask what it is trying to stop

Respecting the firefighter, not shaming it

Exiles: needing time, permission and a trained therapist

Witnessing an exile, then unburdening: protect, retrieve, unburden

What does a course of IFS look like?

What can IFS help with?

Does it work? What the research says

For post-traumatic stress: improvement, but not shown better than another structured programme

For rheumatoid arthritis: pain and mood improved, anxiety and disease activity did not

For depression in college women: similar to CBT or interpersonal therapy, with a very small sample

Against other therapies, and what drives the change: no answer yet

To be honest: IFS's limits and controversies

1Thin evidence, some of it run by the model's creator and colleagues

2The Self is a hard-to-test concept with a spiritual flavour

3Trauma, dissociation and psychosis: risky without training

4IFS online: everyone is doing it, with no one minding the gate

Courses

Therapists who practise IFS

Beyond IFS: other approaches

Other therapy approaches

FAQ

References

Want someone alongside you?